The Hobbit is an expansive game that will have you spending hours upon hours traveling the lands of Middle Earth. Whether you are interested battling hordes of goblins, freeing people from elf prisons, or sneaking past dragons, The Hobbit has you covered.

For those of you who are into platformers a-la Rayman, The Hobbit should be fun enough. Younger gamers are sure to be drawn into the story and the fluent gameplay, which rarely offers any particular brainstorming. Also, it's a fair assumption that Tolkien fans and average gamers might find something in it as well. Nonetheless, there's still a majority of players, who are used to experiencing more gore and violence. If this is your attitude, then it's safe to say that the game's child-like approach won't come as a remarkably rewarding endeavor.

The problem with The Hobbit isn’t that it’s a bad game; the problem is that while this title is based on one of the greatest franchises ever, it continuously sidetracks you with diversions that aren’t in the book, when all you really want to do is get to the good stuff that Tolkien crafted. That material is in here, but you’ll have to slog through lots of mindless platforming to get to it.

In the end, my greatest concern with The Hobbit is that the game fails to give enough attention on screen to other Tolkien characters aside from Bilbo. This omission is particularly glaring for any gamer who has read the novel. My advice to interested gamers is to become familiar with the novel, in order to fully enjoy not only this game but also to realize what you are missing. Nonetheless, The Hobbit is a game worth playing if you are only in for a few kicks and not a whole truck load of flare.

The Hobbit is a game that doesn't know what audience it's going for. Its look and feel is too juvenile for adults, and some of its challenges are too difficult and frustrating for kids. Even rabid Tolkien fans won't care for the game, thanks to its translation of the classic novel into a lightweight, cartoonish platformer. It has a few redeeming qualities, but it's a sad waste of great source material.

The Hobbit is unlikely to make anyone’s
list of favorite games. Adult garners will find it too basic, children may find it too frustrating, and fans of Lord of the Rings will prefer a more authentic Tolkien experience. But if you find yourself at Blockbuster, desperate for a console-game fix, and all the games you really want to play aren’t available, you could do worse than blowing an hour or two with this one.